How to use ​Values, Money and Me

Values, Money and Me helps children to explore the world of money within the context of personal and ethical values. Children will begin to appreciate the, sometimes complex, emotional and moral dilemmas that we all face in relation to money.

Children live in a world where their desires and values are influenced by many factors; family, peers, the media and the law. Values, Money and Me focuses learning through a range of tasks, plans and dilemmas faced by the characters that live in Pride Place. Through the characters, their families and the situations they find themselves in, we are able to help children to explore and understand how the ever-changing adult world of money affects them. It explores how they can take more responsibility for their own money and to consider the moral and ethical values they hold about it.

Values, Money and Me also explores what money cannot buy, by considering the value of friendship, giving of their time and kindness. By understanding 'social capital' and the value of their participation with others they are able to see money in the context of being good citizens, friends and family members.

"At Experian we are very much committed to changing lives and improving futures through our support of credit and financial education programmes. As well as helping improve people’s financial identities and access to credit, we have a real focus on providing financial education to the next generation helping them make successful decisions about their money."

"We actively support financial education from the age of five to help children grow up feeling confident about how to manage their finances through to young adults preparing them for independent living. Working through partnerships helps create new and innovative ways to build financial knowledge and provide extra support for those who need it most. Many of our employees get involved too, volunteering their time, expertise and enthusiasm to promote financial education."

"To support primary school children, Experian developed the UK’s first free online teaching resource designed to help pupils explore both practical and emotional issues around managing money. Values, Money and Me aims to give young children a head start in life by helping develop their financial knowledge and abilities, as well as their attitude and values towards money. The resource has been designed to resemble a children’s storybook and explores key issues such as earning money, budgeting and saving, through a range of engaging activities, based on a series of interactive stories. From saving up for a pet, to supporting a school charity, through to understanding what their parents’ taxes pay for, Values, Money and Me brings to life for children the world of money and how it affects them and others – and how they can take responsibility for managing money. The resource was developed by working closely with young people and teachers and has been launched at a time when children are taking on financial responsibilities at an increasingly young age, for example owning their first mobile phone or even shopping online with a parent’s credit card."

Ms BarrattExperian,Head of Community Involvement UK&I

The Website

The resource has been shared with you online so that you can easily access, view and download all the materials you need to deliver a range of lessons to children in primary school. There are activities that can be accessed on the site so children can explore the ideas in the scheme with their family and activities to get children involved in entrepreneurship activities, running their own charity fundraising events. Financial capability works best when the learning is planned within the curriculum. There are 10 story units, each comprising of a set of lessons, linked to activities embedded in the site, to be delivered as a whole in the classroom.

Please note: The interactive stories and calculators are embedded in the website for easy access but be aware that they are intended to be delivered as part of the whole unit, not as a standalone activity. They are designed as a starting point and a shared activity to engage the class and act as a springboard for the lessons. To ensure that children get the best out of the resource it is advised that you download and plan the whole unit, taking time to see how the elements fit together before you begin.

Lesson plans and classroom materials provide a variety of opportunities that can be linked to a variety of subject areas, including PSHEE, SEAL, Citizenship, Mathematics, English and History.